F.R.I.E.N.D.S - A Review

Friends is an American television sitcom produced by Marta Kauffman and David Crane which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004 lasting ten seasons. With a great cast starring Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer, the show revolves around six friends around their 20s living in Manhattan, New York City.

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Introduction

The funny elements and the comedic timing of the show is just perfect. The most important point is that after finishing the series, we can just start it all over again and get energetic and fresh. It has an excellent amount of repeat value that we can’t get bored after watching it many times.

General Appeal

It offers a form of escapism, an opportunity to spend time with closely-knit people whose trivial issues generally get resolved at the end of the episode. It is based on blissful ignorance, not bothered by politics, and it brilliantly portrays that life problems can be forgotten by a sarcastic nature. It justifies the quote, “Humankind cannot bear much reality”

Cast Appeal

The twenty-year old New Yorkers are clashing and quirky personalities and have a habit of getting themselves in laughably uncomfortable conditions. They lead privileged and insular lives filled with misunderstandings and comic incidents produced through failure at communication and lies.

Writer Style

Seinfield uses the nothing has happened approach as we see that the show is ridiculous and irreverent capable of exacting observations while always willing to run for easy jokes.

A Look into the Twenties

The show portrays that real world sucks, a world full of poverty, deadly boring jobs, quarter-life crisis and other aspects of mid-20s life that has universal appeal.

Rachel converted from privileged father’s girl to a waitress. The job was terrible and she shifted to blogging. Ross, Monica and Chandler have well paid jobs to sustain their modest lifestyles. The group quarrels from time to time as normal humans and they get reunited whenever any problem arises. The constant job changeover in Friends shows the career quest of people in their mid-20s.

Romantic Viewpoint

The series approach to dating entertains us in one episode or provided a season-long arc such as Monica and Richard or Rachel and Ross which ended in heartbreak. Joey encourages Ross to date Rachel just to face the consequences when he develops feelings in seasons 8 and 9. The show lacks smartphones and drug-fuelled clubbing, but that’s why it holds up. It tells a similar story of working hard, looking for success and trying to eat together with people about whom we actually care.

Life Lessons

Friends is all about sex, love, careers, relationships and most importantly it is about friends who are your real family. Warren Littlefield, the then president of NBC Entertainment, was in search of comedy involving young people staying together and sharing expenditure. Littlefield wanted the group to share memories with friends who had become new family members. However, Littlefield found difficulty in bringing this concept fruitfully to life and found the scripts developed by NBC to be terrible.

Central Theme

Comedy and romance are woven brilliantly in the series of friends. Audiences have been attracted by the love-integral plot of Ross and Rachel’s on and off relationship, keeping us on our toes.

Friends Reunion

The long-awaited get-together is finally here and it is like a nice chat with old pals. There has never been a stronger demand for a reunion of any television show before. It felt safe for the producer to get the cast just sit on a orange couch and revisit the episodes from the show’s original run. Fans have already watched it a billion times. Basically, the reunion episode is soft and cozy with a nostalgic mood.

Final Thoughts

Friends are my personal favourite series because of its ability to showcase what goes on in the life of new adults, it has done a fantastic job of covering the social phenomena of adoption, surrogacy. For friends and lovers, its not just a show it’s a blanket of comfort making it a must watch for all ages.

Written by - Amaan Goenka

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